you're playin' with your life (this ain't no truth or dare)
by mutemelodyx
Summary: "Please protect the village and the Uchiha's name." - Uchiha Shisui / Danzō was standing across from him, the exact place where just a day ago he had destroyed their best shot at peace, and Itachi...Itachi listens to him. Why does he listen?


**[Title is from Beat It by Micheal Jackson]**

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_"When I tried to stop the coup d'état by using kotoamatsukami, Danzō stole my right eye."_

Itachi always knew who was responsible for Shisui's death. He doesn't know how he _couldn't _remember all the details of one of the worst days of his life.

If he opens his mouth, he can taste the night air, tinged with smells of rushing water and blood that trails down pale skin like macabre tears. The eyelid it originates from is closed, but he knows that even if it was open, he would not see an eye underneath but rather blood and a harsh wound and a sign of betrayal and suffering and failure.

Not Shisui's failure, of course, but _his - _if only he had been better.

A better shinobi, a better ANBU, a better _son._

If he had been better, he could have stopped things before they got this far, before Shisui had to lose an _eye._

_"Please protect the village and the Uchiha's name."_

Shisui's last words were not spoken with the intent of a massacre, of an entire clan being reduced to just two overnight. They were spoken with the guilt of a burden too great, the hope that Itachi's mangekyō would be able to sustain peace, and the resolve of a shinobi who knows he must die to save his village and those he loves.

(Because Shisui had _always _loved the Uchiha clan. No matter what, Shisui cared for his village _and _his family.)

But the burden _had _been too great, and Itachi lost himself under the pressure. But Itachi's mangekyō power was not mind-control or time-manipulation, but rather a fire that would never go out.

But Itachi's resolve was not enough to protect both the village he called his home _and _the people he called his family.

Still, Shisui had asked him to in his last words, and Itachi _couldn't _just ignore that. Danzō had ripped Shisui away from him, had ripped up their careful plan, had _ripped out Shisui's eye._

Danzō was standing across from him, the exact place where just a day ago he had destroyed their best shot at peace, and Itachi-

Itachi listens to him.

_"To protect the village we must absolutely stop the coup before everything falls into chaos."_

Why does he listen?

Shisui is dead. Danzō ripped out his _eye. _Itachi has the other one sealed away in one of his summons, safe and protected.

_"And the only one who can do this job is a double spy working for both the Uchiha and Konoha."_

Shisui is dead and his last words were to protect Konohagakure and their family's good name. Itachi _must _do both. He has to. Shisui is dead, died for him, died for a _chance _at peace.

Itachi must honor that by succeeding.

_"...In other words you, Itachi."_

Itachi is alone, now. He is the only voice in his clan that does not demand retribution from Konoha. That does not scream for bloodshed or hiss for justice or whisper for revenge.

_"Itachi...it will be hard mission for you…"_

Sasuke is the only other voice that does not, but that is because his eyes are not sharp enough. He can sense tension, but does not know how deep it runs, and how stained it is in the ink of laws against their family and the blood of the Uchiha who have died.

_"But in exchange for that, I can let your younger brother live._

He has to protect the village. He has to protect the village _from his family. _He has to eliminate the threat.

No, wait. Shisui told him to-

_"I'm sure you want to protect the village…_

Shisui told him to protect the village and protect their family's name. Itachi can protect a name and a village, but in doing so, he cannot save the clan that that name belongs to.

_"Do you accept this mission?"_

He must follow through with Shisui's last wishes.

No matter where this path takes him, he must succeed.

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**so basically this can be read in a variety of ways but was partially written as an outlet to an idea that i got which was what if Itachi was kotoamatsukami'd by Danzo during that lil meeting they have before Itachi kills his clan? Idk, it just never made sense to me why Itachi listened to him there and didn't snitch since he knew Danzo took Shisui's eye. Can also explain why Itachi's plan makes little sense and he kinda goes crazy later - he's at odds with his own gentle personality and what the mind-control is telling him to do.**

**im not saying that that's what happened or anything im just saying its an idea i got that i thought was neat and wanted to explore a bit! you can read this any way you want to tho, it's purposely kinda vague.**


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